Ruben

Born in Harstad and raised in Bjarkøy in northern Norway, Ruben Markussen, performing as Ruben, develops a melodic pop sound tinged with electropop, built around clear vocal lines, often restrained tempos, and a pared-down synthetic production. Ruben began releasing music in 2016 with the EP East West, made with Tom Has, and emerged on the Norwegian pop scene in 2017 with the single "Walls", a turning point that later led him to relocate to Oslo. The tracks "The Half" and "Lay by Me" continued this trajectory prior to the 2019 EP Melancholic, where Ruben refined a style between electronic ballad and more direct pop song. In 2020 he appeared alongside Alan Walker on "Heading Home", then followed with the EP Animosity in 2021 and Tonic Emotions Pt. 1 in 2023. Across projects, Ruben maintains a sober, contemporary aesthetic situated between Nordic pop, soft electronic textures and a measured vocal delivery.